First-Ever Oscar Roadtrip Kicks Off Nationwide Tour in NYC Today

The first-ever Oscar Roadtrip will kick off today, February 4, in New York City, and over the next three weeks will bring the excitement of the Oscars to numerous cities across the country. Fans along the way will have a chance to hold an actual Oscar statuette before it arrives on the Hollywood red carpet in time for the 85th Academy Awards presentation on Sunday, February 24.

Oscar's journey will be chronicled in videos, photos and blog posts by Oscar Roadtrip reporters Ben Gleib and Angie Greenup on OscarRoadtrip.com, @OscarRoadtrip and Facebook.com/TheAcademy. The pair will hit the nation's highways for the 21-day journey to some of Oscar's favorite cities, with a number of stops along the way to be determined by fans via social media. Everyone is invited to follow the progress of the trip, suggest a location for an impromptu Oscar visit and take a picture holding the coveted statuette.

"We created the Oscar Roadtrip to bring the magic and fun of the Oscar ceremony to movie fans across the country," said Josh Spector, managing director of digital media and marketing for the Academy. "The Oscar Roadtrip makes it possible to share the once-in-a-lifetime thrill that only comes from holding an Oscar statuette."

The Oscar Roadtrip is scheduled to visit the following cities on the following dates:

February 4 New York
February 6 Philadelphia
February 7 Washington, D.C.
February 8 Baltimore
February 11 Chicago
February 13 St. Louis
February 14 Kansas City
February 17 Houston
February 18 Dallas
February 21 Phoenix
February 24 Hollywood

Oscars for outstanding film achievements of 2012 will be presented on Oscar Sunday, February 24, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center and will be hosted by Seth MacFarlane. The Oscar presentation will be televised live on the ABC Television Network and in more than 225 countries worldwide.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is the world's preeminent movie-related organization, with a membership of more than 6,000 of the most accomplished men and women working in cinema. In addition to the annual Academy Awards-in which the members vote to select the nominees and winners-the Academy presents a diverse year-round slate of public programs, exhibitions and events; provides financial support to a wide range of other movie-related organizations and endeavors; acts as a neutral advocate in the advancement of motion picture technology; and, through its Margaret Herrick Library and Academy Film Archive, collects, preserves, restores and provides access to movies and items related to their history. Through these and other activities the Academy serves students, historians, the entertainment industry and people everywhere who love movies.

Follow the Academy:
www.oscars.org
www.facebook.com/TheAcademy
www.youtube.com/Oscars
www.twitter.com/TheAcademy

And for more about the Roadtrip reporters, visit:
Ben Gleib: http://bengleib.com
Angie Greenup: www.angiegreenup.com